Camera having strobe incorporated therein

Abstract

A camera having a built-in strobe is provided in which a light emitter is moved between a retracted position and a light emitting position, and includes at least one posture control pin that projects outward from at least one side of the light emitter. A support has at least one cam groove, in which the posture control pin is fitted, to control the posture of the light emitter. An elastic biasing member acts on a projecting end of the posture control pin to bias the light emitter into the light emitting position.

We claim: 
     
       1. A camera having a built-in strobe in which a light emitter is moved between a retracted position and a light emitting position, comprising: at least one posture control pin that projects outward from at least one side of said light emitter;   means for supporting said light emitter, said supporting means including at least one cam groove in which said posture control pin is fitted to control a posture of said light emitter, said posture control pin projecting at one end thereof from said at least one cam groove; and,   means for elastically biasing said light emitter, said biasing means acting directly on said projecting one end of said posture control pin for biasing said light emitter into said light emitting position.   
     
     
       2. The built-in strobe camera of claim 1, wherein said camera comprises a single lens reflex camera that has a pentagonal prism. 
     
     
       3. The built-in strobe camera of claim 2, wherein said light emitter is provided on said pentagonal prism. 
     
     
       4. The built-in strobe camera of claim 3, wherein said supporting means comprises a pair of side plates that support said light emitter. 
     
     
       5. The built-in strobe camera of claim 4, wherein said at least one cam groove is provided on one of said side plates. 
     
     
       6. The built-in strobe camera of claim 3, wherein said supporting means comprises a support having a pair of side plates that are located outside each side face of sad light emitter, and a pair of supporting arms which pivot at one end thereof with respect to said side plates and at the other end thereof with respect to said side faces of said light emitter through pivot shafts, said at least one cam groove being provided on one of said side plates. 
     
     
       7. The built-in strobe camera of claim 6, wherein at least one of said side plates is provided on its outer side face with a spring shaft. 
     
     
       8. The built-in strobe camera of claim 7, wherein said elastic biasing means comprises at least one torsion coil spring that is mounted to said spring shaft. 
     
     
       9. The built-in strobe camera of claim 8, wherein said torsion coil spring is engaged at a first end by said posture control pin and at a second end by at least an associated side plate or a body of said camera. 
     
     
       10. The built-in strobe camera of claim 9, wherein said at least one cam groove is substantially arched-shape, and wherein said spring shaft is located substantially at a center of curvature of an associated cam groove. 
     
     
       11. The built-in strobe camera of claim 10, wherein said supporting means comprises a prism receiving portion that is defined between said side plates. 
     
     
       12. The built-in strobe camera of claim 11, wherein said side plates are integrally formed with each other through said prism receiving portion. 
     
     
       13. The built-in strobe camera of claim 12, wherein said supporting means comprises a connecting arm which connects to said pivotable supportable arms. 
     
     
       14. The built-in strobe camera of claim 13, wherein said pivotable supporting arms are provided with shafts that are located adjacent to a connecting arm, and wherein said side plates are provided with shaft holes in which shafts of said supporting arms are rotatably fitted. 
     
     
       15. The built-in strobe camera of claim 14, wherein said pivotable supporting arms are provided on front ends thereof with said shaft holes, and wherein said light emitter is provided on side faces thereof with shafts which are rotatably fitted in said shaft holes of said supporting arms. 
     
     
       16. The built-in strobe camera of claim 15, wherein said supporting arms comprises parallel plates that are spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance. 
     
     
       17. The built-in strobe camera of claim 16, wherein said pivotable supporting arms are provided on said front ends thereof with stepped portions on which said shaft holes are formed and which are spaced apart from one another by a distance that is smaller than said predetermined distance of said supporting arms. 
     
     
       18. The built-in strobe camera of claim 1, further comprising, a detection switch that is turned ON and OFF when said light emitter is in and is not in said light emitting position, respectively, so as to detect a position of said light emitter. 
     
     
       19. The built-in strobe camera of claim 1, further comprising means for indicating various functions of said camera, means for illuminating said indicating means, and means for activating said illuminating means to illuminate said indicating means when said detection switch detects that said light emitter is in said light emitting position. 
     
     
       20. The built-in strobe camera of claim 1, wherein said means for elastically biasing comprises a spring that directly engages said posture control pin. 
     
     
       21. A camera having a built-in strobe in which a light emitter is moved between a retracted position and a light emitting position, comprising: at least one posture control pin that is provided on at least one side of said light emitter to project outward therefrom;   means for supporting said light emitter, said supporting means including at least one cam groove in which said posture control pin is fitted to restrict a posture of said light emitter, said posture control pin projecting at one end thereof from said at least one cam groove;   means for elastically biasing said light emitter, said biasing means acting directly on said projecting end of said posture control pin for biasing said light emitter into said light emitting position; and   means for engaging said light emitter on said projecting end of said control posture control pin for restricting a movement at one end of said elastic biasing means in an axial direction of said posture control pin.   
     
     
       22. The built-in strobe camera of claim 21, wherein said engaging means comprising an engaging member that is integrally formed on said posture control pin. 
     
     
       23. The built-in strobe camera of claim 22, wherein said engaging member comprises an engaging projection that projects in a radial direction of said posture control pin. 
     
     
       24. The built-in strobe camera of claim 23, wherein said posture control pin and said engaging projection are shaped so that they can be inserted through said at least one cam groove at a specific angular position. 
     
     
       25. The built-in strobe camera of claim 21, wherein said elastic biasing means comprises a torsion coil spring which is engaged at a first end by said posture control pin. 
     
     
       26. The built-in strobe camera of claim 21, wherein said means for elastically biasing comprises a spring that directly engages said posture control pin. 
     
     
       27. A camera having a built-in strobe in which a light emitter is moved between a retracted position and a light emitting position, comprising: means for supporting said light emitter to move between said light emitting position and said retracted position, wherein said supporting means comprises an association member that includes a pair of supporting arms which are pivoted at a first end thereof to side faces of said light emitter and which are rotatably supported at a second end thereof; and   a detection switch that is turned ON and OFF when said light emitter is in and is not in said light emitting position, respectively, so as to detect a position of said light emitter, wherein said detection switch comprises a switch pin that is movably mounted to a camera body to move in a direction that is parallel with an axis of said supporting arms, and a contact unit that has a movable contact and a stationary contact which are brought into contact with each other by a movement of said switch pin, wherein said movable contact abuts against one end of said switch pin, said switch pin is in slidable contact with a side face of one of said supporting arms to turn said detection switch OFF when said light emitter is in an intermediate position between said retracted position and a predetermined position immediately before said light emitting position, and said switch pin is separated from said side face of said supporting arms to turn said detection switch means ON when said light emitter is in said light emitting position.   
     
     
       28. The built-in strobe camera of claim 27, further comprising means for indicating various functions of said camera, means for illuminating said indicating means, and means for activating said illuminating means to illuminate said indicating means when said detection switch detects that said light emitter is in said light emitting position. 
     
     
       29. A camera that includes a strobe incorporated therein, in which a light emitter is moved between a retracted position and a light emitting position, and means for indicating various functions of said camera, comprising: a detection switch that is turned ON and OFF when said light emitter is in and is not in said light emitting position, respectively, so as to detect a position of said light emitter, wherein said detection switch comprises a switch pin that is movably mounted to a camera body to move in a direction that is parallel with an axis of said supporting arms, and a contact unit that has a movable contact and a stationary contact which are brought into contact with each other by a movement of said switch pin, wherein said movable contact abuts against one end of said switch pin, said switch pin is in slidable contact with a side face of one of said supporting arms to turn said detection switch OFF when said light emitter is in an intermediate position between said retracted position and a predetermined position immediately before said light emitting position, and said switch pin is separated from said side face of said supporting arms to turn said detection switch means ON when said light emitter is in said light emitting position;   means for illuminating said indicating means; and   means for activating said illuminating means to illuminate said indicating means when said detecting means detects that said light emitter is in said light emitting position.